Manipulator for metal coils



March 10, 1953 s. S. DOUGLAS 2,630,931

' MANIPULATOR FOR METAL COILS I Filed Sept. 26, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR s. S. DOUGLAS MANIPULATOR FOR METAL COILS March 10, 1953 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 26, 1949 INVENTOR March 10, 1953 s. SQDOUGLASMANIPULATOR FOR METAL coILs 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 26. 1949 I I mmb zm+ G N II R RT! R .m. i w V\ WM E- m .U .H m NN wq "MSW QWQMQ qwaw |NVENTOR Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANIPULATORFOR METAL COILS Samuel S. Douglas, Oil City, Pa. Application September26, 1949, Serial No. 117,819

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a device or apparatus for manipulating orhandling metal coils, and particularly, to apparatus for handling hot orcold metal strip coils in amill.

Previous to the present invention, considerable dificulty has beenexperienced in the positioning, handling, and transferring metal coilsfrom one location to another in the mill, e. g., from the mill to awarehouse and vice versa, or from the floor of the mill or of awarehouse to a processing apparatus and vice versa. It has beencustomary to provide a conveyer, tilter or turner, another conveyer andan up-ender in an aligned relationship along the mill fioo-r forhandling coils. This layout arrangement is expensive, is limited in itsfield of use, uneconomical as to space, and complioates the mill layout.Additional difficulty has been experienced due to the fact that in somecases each coil is stored with its axis extending horizontally and inother cases with its axis extending vertically. Coils will vary in sizeand weight within rather large ranges, but ordinarily cannot be manuallyhandled. Thus, in addition to the special equipment for handling coilson the mill floor, special equipment is needed to transfer the coilsfrom the mill to a warehouse and vice versa.

It will be apparent from the above brief outline of present daydifficulties in handling metal coils that the provision :of suitablehandling equipment is an extremely expensive proposition and that thehandling, itself, is wasteful of valuable man-hours. In view of theurgent need for some simple, relatively inexpensive, and more practicalmethod of handling or manipulating coils, I departed from the beatenpath and have been able to develop a device orapparatus which can .besupported or carried by the ordinary traveling hoist crane equipment andwhich can be operated by the crane operator, himself. The device is thusextremely adaptable to meet all manipulating or positioningrequirements, whether the coil is being handled in the mill, itself, orfrom the warehouse to the mill and vice versa. The device can beemployed with facility to pick up a coil, regardless of exactly how itis positioned with respect to its axis. The device may also serve as anup-ender or a turner for the coil, so that its axis is in a desireddifferent position. The device is also constructed so that it has abalanced center of gravity when a coil is picked up with its axisextending vertically and will swing to seek a new center of gravity whenthe coil is swung to a horizontal or oblique position.

The device is provided with means for positively holding the coil insuspension while it is being carried from one location to another aswell as means for swinging it to a desired axial relationship during thecarrying operation or before or at the completion of the carryingoperation. Although the device is preferably balanced so that its centerof gravity will extend axially along its vertical support member after anormal size of coil has been picked up, it is provided with means forswinging the coil in such a manner that the center of gravity of thedevice with the coil in a supported relationship may extend in a desiredrelationship to the longitudinal axis of the support member. The deviceof my invention serves as a combined conveyer means with the ordinaryoverhead crane, a swinging or tilting means, as well as a pickup anddelivery means. Coils can now be moved with a high degree of safety toany desired location, can be picked up from any position and can bedelivered in any desired manner or position, either to processingapparatus or to a storage space.

It has thus been an object of my invention to solve the problemheretofore presented in the art of handling or manipulating coils by anentirely new approachthereto;

Another object has been to provide a manipul-ator device for coilsandthe like which will make use of existing crane equipment and whichwill eliminate the space consuming, expensive, and non-flexible type ofequipment layout which is required at the present time;

A further object of my invention has been to devise a relatively simpleand inexpensive form of manipulator device which can be employed withfacility to meet the various problems of handling and positioning metalcoils.

These and many other objects of my invention will appear to thoseskilled in the art from the hereinafter illustrated and describedembodiments thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view in elevation of a device or anapparatus constructed in accordance with my invention, somewhatdiagrammatically illustrating actuating controls therefore, and how itmay be supported or suspended from an ordinary traveling crane or hoistapparatus; in this figure (Fig. 1) I have shown switch controls arrangedto energize an actuating motor in a counterclockwise direction anddeenergize a magnetic brake for the motor;

Figure 1A is a vertical perspective fragmental detail showing theconstruction of a top Or up- 3 per vertical end portion of the supportstructure of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 1B shows the electric circuit of Figure 1 arranged to energizethe motor in a clockwise direction and de-energize the magnetic brake;and Figure 10 shows the circuit arranged to deenergize the motor andenergize the magnetic brake;

Figure 2 is a front view in vertical elevation of the device of Figurel; in both Figures 1 and 2 the coil-receiving nose or mandrel is shownextending vertically;

Figure 3 is a reduced view in side elevation of the device of Figures 1and 2, illustrating how it may be employed to pick up a coil whose axisis extending horizontally; in this figure the dot and dash lines showmovement of the device as effected by the crane or hoist apparatus toenter its nose properly within the coil;

Figure 4 is a front end view of the full line showing of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view somewhat similar to Figure, 3, but illustrates howthe device may be actuated to move its nose from a horizontal position(see the dot and dash lines) to an oblique position (see they fulllines) to, if desired, shift the center of gravity of the device when itis supporting or carrying a coil;

Figure 6 is a slightly enlarged side vertical view illustrating by fulland dot and dash lines how a coil may be moved from a vertical positionto a horizontal position and vice versa; it also illustrates how a coilwhose axis extends vertically may be picked up from position 1, movedvertically to position 2, and then swung into a horizontal position 3;

Figures 7 to ll, inclusive, are somewhat diagrammatic side views inelevation and reduced scale illustrating by five comparative positionshow a device constructed in accordance with my invention may be employedto pick up, move, and deliver a coil; it also illustrates how the devicewill seek its center of gravity after a coil has been picked up and itsnormal center of gravity changed by the weight and positioning of thecoil; it also illustrates how the center of, gravity may be adjusted byadjusting the exact supported position of the coil on the device.

Thev illustrated, device of my invention has a support structure ormember which may be a weldment, casting or combination thereof thatextends substantially vertically and at one end is provided with meansfor suspending it from a hoist or preferably from a traveling crane insuch a manner that it is free to swing as a pendulum therefrom. A lowerend portion of the support structure or member carries or serves as amounting for a pickup which as shown, may comprise a nose elementprovided with a magnetic hold-coil adjacent one end thereof ofsufficient diameter to surmount it. The pickup device is constructed andarranged for swinging, pivotal, or angular movement with respect to thesupport frame and is preferably mounted thereon in such a manner that itcan be moved within an arcuate path of more than 90 and less than 180.An actuating or motive means is also carriedby the support member andpositioned in such a manner that the device preferably has a center ofgravity which is concentric with the axis of the support structure whenthe pickup mechanism or nose is in a vertical or horizontal position.The'pickup device is shown operablyconnected through gear-segments andworm gears to the motive means such as an electric motor. The motivemeans is shown provided with a magnetic brake which is actuated when themotor is ole-energized, and is inoperative when the motor is beingactuated for forward or reverse movement. If the motive means is anelectric motor, a suitable interlock may be provided between theelectrical connections to the motor and to the magnetic brake. For theabove purpose, the pickup or nose is preferably provided with a magneticholding means, such as a magnetic field, that is actuated when the workpiece, such as a metal coil, is being picked up and carried to a newlocation, and is de-enen gized to release the work piece at a newlocation or in a different position.

Referring particularly to Figures 1, 2, '7, 8 and 9, I have somewhatdiagrammatically illustrated a traveling overhead crane It provided witha hoist drum H, sheaves. ii, i i and 44a, reeving i3, and a hook il Thesheaves. i i and Ma. are rotatably mounted on a hoist frame it whichalso carries a button head end portion of the hook I? by means of apivotly mounted support pin 16.

The manipulator device 2!], as shown, has a frame construction whichextends substantially vertically and has a somewhat thin sidev and awidened front and back contour. The upper end portion of the frame ofthe device 28 has, as shown, an upwardly-extending, bifurcated part 25(see Figure 1A) provided with spaced-apart vertical arms which carry across pin or shank 22 which extends transversely across and may, asshown, be welded thereto. As will be noted, the cross pin or shank 22 isadapted to removably receive the hook i! of the crane It; Thespaced-apart arms of the bifurcated support part 2! are, as shownparticularly in Figure 1A, reinforced by oppositely-extending side-wingpartions or pairs 23.

A motor support bracket or. channel piece 25, may, as shown, be securedas by welding to extend backwardly from the part 2i. As shownparticularly in Figures 1 and 2, a motor 21 and magnetic brake 28 maybe. secured asa unit upon the bottom flange of the support bracket 25 bybolt and nut assemblies 28. The motor shaft 29 is adapted. to extendwithin a; central housing part 3% of the device and is journaled thereinby a bearing 32, and an end bearing assembly 34 that positions a thrustbearing 33. The end bearing 24% extends through an opening in thehousing SE5 (see Figures 1 and 2) and is provided with a mounting faceplate 34a which may be removably secured over the openingv in thehousing 3Q by bolts 35.

The motor shaft 29 has an axially or horizontally-extending worm gear 3%keyed thereon for rotation therewith that meshes with a worm wheel 3'1.The worm wheel 37 is. in turn secured by a key 38c on a cross shaft 38.Theshaft 38 isjournaled within bearings 39 carried by; the enclosinghousing 39 and by endbearings 46 carried by a. pair of;verticall.v,dowmvardly extend-- ing, side arms of a bifurcated extension-part 3-4;The shaft 38 also carries a pair of gear pinions t! adjacent: itsopposite ends thatare'secured-or keyed for rotationtherewith and meshwith a pair of gear segments orsectors: 12. It will-be noted fromFigures 1 and. 2- that verticalside partitions 2d of the housing part3flrare; open at the top to provide a grease pocket forthe-worm gearscarried by thehousing'partl T-he partt tions 24 also carry integralbearing portions-24a,- see Figure 2.

The teeth on the gear segments or sectors 42, preferably as shown,extend for over 90 and the segments are secured by keys 43a onoppositelyextending shaft portions 43 of a swingable support member orcross beam 45. The shaft portions 43 are rotatably supported orjournaled within bores id of lower ends of the side arm members 3|. Thesupport member 45 is thus adapted to be turned about its shaft orintegral axle portions 33 by the gear segments d2.

The support member 45 has an annular central body portion that carries apickup device 4'1 centrally thereof which as shown, has a mag netic core48, an electric field-producing coil or winding 49 wound thereabout, andan outwardly-extending metal nose or mandrel portion 50. The nose 50may, as shown, be of hollow metal construction and have a central bodyof cylindrical shape terminating in a tapered or conic closed end. Theconic end of the nose 5!) aids in initially introducing it into theaxial opening of the work piece or coil C that is to be picked up andhandled.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, direct current power mains or lines5| and 52 may be employed to supply energy to the motor 21, its magneticbrake 28, and the electro-magnetic hold coil as of the pickup 41. Anautomatic-hold push button switch 53 is shown in the connection betweenthe electric main 52 and sub-line 52a to one side of the hold coil 49;the other side of the coil 49 is shown connected directly to the main 5i A motor control, two push button, switch mechanism 54 has a pair ofswitches 54a and 55b, see Figures 1, 1B, and 1C. The switch 54a has apair of contact arms a and b. The arm a is adapted to connect oppositepoints a between sub-line 51a and sub-line 51b (that is connected to oneside of the magnetic brake 28) when the switch 5% is in an open orreleased position (see Figures 113 and 1C), and to connect oppositepoints a" between main 52 and sub-line 521) (that is connected to oneside of the motor 27) when the switch is in a closed or depressedposition (see Figure 1). The arm 19 is positioned to move with the arm aand is adapted to connect opposite points 1) between main 5| andsub-line 510 (that is connected to the other side of the motor 27) whenthe switch 54a is in a closed or depressed position (see Figure 1) Theswitch 5% has a pair of contact arms c and d. The arm is adapted toconnect oppo site points c between sub-line m and main 5! when theswitch 542) is in an open or released position (see Figures 1 and 1C),and to connect opposite points 0" between main 5| and sub-line 52b whenthe switch is in a closed position (see Figure 1B). The arm d whichoperates with arm c is adapted to connect opposite points d between main52 and sub-line 510 when the switch 54b is in a closed'or' depressedposition (see Figure 1B). A comparison of Figures 1, 1B, and will showthat the brake 21 is always de-enengized when one of the switches 5 5aor 54b is closed and is always energized when both of those switches areopen. It will also be apparent that when the spring of push buttonswitch 54a is depressed (switch closed) that the motor 21 will be drivenin one direction (see Figure 1) and that when the spring of push buttonswitch 542) is depressed (switch closed) that the motor 21 will bedriven in an opposite direction (see Figure 1B). The arms a and b ofswitch 54a are mounted for simultaneous movement as are the arms 0 and dof switch 54b. It is thus apparent that the brake 28 is energized whenthe motor 21 is de-energized, and vice versa.

The switch 53 and mechanism 54 are preferably located in the cab of thecrane, so that the operator can have full control over the operation ofthe manipulator device.

Referring particularly to Figures 7 to 11, inclusive, Figure 7 shows thedevice in a position to pick up a vertically positioned coil 0, Figure 8shows the coil in a raised position, Figures 9 and 10 show how the coilmay be turned to a horizontal position while being carried by thedevice, and Figure 11 shows a horizontal delivery of the coil. In thesefigures a represents the distance of swing caused by a partial turningof the coil C and a represents the full distance of swing caused bymoving the coil from a vertical to a horizontal position. It will beapparent that the amount of swing or pendulum action will depend on thesize and weight of the coil C, and that the coil-swinging mechanism maybe actuated, as shown, to tilt the coil C and adjust the center ofgravity of the device 20, as changed by the supported coil, to anydesired relationship. Figure 10 illustrates a representative finalposition of the device 20 and the coil C which may be used in carryingthe device and the coil from one location to another in the mill. Itwill be apparent from a comparison of Figures 3, 5, 6, etc., that thenose 50 of the pick-up means may be adjusted to any desiredradially-extending or projecting position to pick up or deliver a coiland to provide a desired center of gravity relationship for carrying thecoil from one location to another.

What I claim is:

1. A manipulator device adapted to be suspended from a crane apparatusto pick up and deliver a metal coil which comprises, a support structurehaving means for suspending its upper end portion from the craneapparatus, an electro-magnet pickup nose adapted to enter the coil, atransverse arm pivotally mounting said pickup nose on a lower endportion of said support structure to project therefrom, an electricmotor mounted on said support structure above said pickup nose, wormgearing operatively connecting said motor to said arm to swing saidpickup nose in an arcuate path with respect to said support structure,an electric brake operatively associated with said motor to lock it andsaid pickup nose in a desired position, a source of electrical energyfor said pickup nose and said motor and said brake, and an electricalcontrol mechanism adapted to be positioned on the crane apparatus andconnecting said source of energy to said pickup nose, said motor andsaid brake, and said control mechanism being constructed to de-energizesaid brake when said motor is energized and vice versa.

2. A manipulator device that is adapted to be suspended from a hoist orcrane apparatus and to pick up and deliver a metal work piece such as acoil which comprises, a vertically-extending support structure having apivot pin extending through an upper end part thereof and constructedand arranged to be engaged by a hook of the crane apparatus, a pickupmeans pivotly carried on said support structure adjacent a lower endportion thereof, actuating means carried by said support structure andoperably connected to said pickup means and constructed and arranged tomove said pickup means between vertical, hori- 7' zontal and obliquepositions, and means for holding the work piece on said pickup means.

3. A manipulator device as defined in claim 2 wherein, said holdingmeans is provided with an electrically-energized magneticfield-producing means.

4. A manipulator device as defined in claim 2 wherein, said pickup meanshas a nose part constructed and arranged to enter an opening .in thework piece, and said means for holding the work piece on said pickupmeans is a magnetic coil operably positioned about an inner end of saidnose part and of sufiicient diameter to surmount said nose part.

5. A manipulator device as adapted to be swingably suspended from ahoist or crane apparatus and to pick up, handle and deliver a metal coiland the like which comprises, a vertically-extending support structure,a bifurcated upwardly-extending part having a transverselyextendingshank adapted to be-engaged by a hook of the crane apparatus, a housingpart carried by said support structure, an electric motor and brakemechanism mounted on said support structure adjacent said housing part,said motor having a drive shaft operably extending through said housingpart and journaled therewithin, said drive'shaft having a worm meshingwith a worm gear, said Worm gear being operabiy mountedon a cross shaft,said cross shaft being journaied within said housingand carrying a pairof gear pinions secured thereon, a bifurcated part extending downwardlyfrom said housing part of said support structure, a pair of gearsegments meshing with said gear pinions and mounted on a pair of shaftportions, said shaft portions being journaled within side arms of saiddownwardly-extending bifurcated part, a support member carrying saidshaft portions and being constructed to turn therewith, a pickup meanscarried by said support member and projecting therefrom, andmeans forenergizing said motor to change the position of said pickup means, andmeans for energizing said brake when said motor is ale-energized.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein, said pickup means is providedwith a magnetic hold coil, and means is connected to said magnetic holdcoil for energizing it.

7. A manipulator device as defined in claim 5 wherein, said pickup meanshas a projecting nose which is adapted to slide within an opening of thecoil and has a conic end portion to facilitate its introduction into thecoil.

8. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein, means is provided forenergizing said motor. forwardly and backwardly and for simultaneouslyde-energizing said brake, and means is provided for energizing saidbrake when said motor is deenergized.

9. A manipulator device to be suspended from a hoist or crane apparatusto directly pick up a metal work piece such as a coil at one locationand deliver it to another location in a shop which comprises, a supportstructure having means to suspend it from the crane apparatus; a pickupmeans pivotally mounted on said support structure to move betweenagertically-downwardly projecting position and a horizontally-outwardlyprojecting position topick up, carry, and discharge the work piece;means carried by said support structure to hold the work piece on saidpickup means and. to release it therefrom, an actuating means on saidsupport structure and operatively connected to said pickup means to moveit on its pivot mounting between the defined positions.

10. A manipulator device as defined in claim 9 wherein, means isprovided for energizing said actuating mechanism, and a brake isoperatively associated with said pickup means to lockit in a desiredpivoted position with respect to said support structure when saidactuating mechanism is tie-energized.

'11. A manipulator device to be suspended from a hoist or craneapparatus to directly pick up and deliver a metal work piece such as acoil which comprises, a support structure; a pickup nose pivotallymounted on said support structure to be moved between avertically-downwardly projecting position, an oblique position and ahorizontal-outwardly proiectingposition to pick up, carry, and dischargethe work piece; means carried by said support structure and cooperatingwith said pickupnose to hold the work piece on said pickup nose andrelease it therefrom, actuating mechanism on said support structure andoperatively connected to said pickup .nose to move it on its pivotmounting between the defined positions, and said support structurehaving means to pivotally suspend it from the crane apparatus, so thatthe manipulator device will be free to seek a new center of gravity whensaid actuating mechanism has moved said pickup nose from one to anotherof the defined positions.

12. A manipulator device as defined in claim '11 wherein, said actuatingmechanism is a motor operatively connected to said pickup nose throughits pivot mounting, and said motor has a magnetic brake to lock it inposition when it is de-energized.

SAMUEL S. DOUGLAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,605,273 Norton et al Nov. 2,1926 1,868,562 Chubb et al July 26, 1932 2,203,799 Shaffer June 11, 1940

